Chapter 196 Gathering Together
After saying these words, the mother and daughter ended the conversation, then walked around the mall, bought some things, and then returned to the Xiao family together.
…
When they arrived at the Xiao family, it was just time for dinner.
The atmosphere at home is warm, and the light shining through the curtains in the living room vaguely reveals busy figures inside the house.
Ye Zhiyao and Peng Chengxuan left the table early before dinner because they each had some matters to deal with. So that night, only the Xiao family members gathered together and sat around the dining table to have dinner together.
Old Master Xiao looked in good spirits, wearing a neat navy blue Chinese jacket and sitting steadily in the main seat.
He cleared his throat and coughed twice, then looked at Ruan Chuxia with a smile on his face and said kindly, "Come, Ruan Chuxia, try these dishes tonight while they're hot and see if they suit your appetite."
Ruan Chuxia was slightly startled when she heard this, then she raised her eyes and looked at the dining table, her gaze fell on several familiar dishes. Those dishes were obviously from the cooking style of Shenzhen, with light flavors and particular attention to the heat.
She immediately understood that these dishes were most likely brought back from Shenzhen or specially made for her, so that she could eat more comfortably at the Xiao family.
So she picked up her chopsticks and gently picked up a piece of fish. After tasting it carefully, she smiled faintly and nodded in praise, saying, "It's quite good. It tastes even better than some restaurants I've eaten at in Shenzhen."
Although her words were a bit polite, her tone was sincere and there was a smile on her face. Therefore, although he didn't know how sincere she was, Mr. Xiao still seemed very satisfied after hearing it. The smile on his face deepened, as if he had suddenly become several years younger.
He nodded complacently and said proudly, "Of course, this is not something you can just eat. It's me..."
As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately realized that he had let something slip. He quickly coughed twice, changed his tone, and said, "Zhiyu specially arranged for someone to bring the ingredients from Shenzhen City."
He almost said that he had personally instructed it. If this girl really knew that he, an elder, cared so much about the thoughts of the younger generation, she would be so excited that she would not be able to sleep.
Thinking of this, Mr. Xiao couldn't help but secretly thankful that he reacted quickly, otherwise the situation would have been a bit embarrassing.
Ruan Chuxia naturally noticed his slight slip of the tongue, but she didn't say anything. She just raised the corners of her mouth slightly and smiled softly, as if she hadn't heard anything just now. She said softly, "Thank you, Grandpa, and thank you, Dad, for your thoughtful arrangements."
Her tone was calm and gentle, like a tranquil lake.
During the meal, Guo Huaqin mentioned the wedding again, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
She said that Xiao Zhiyu and Ruan Chuxia have not held a formal wedding yet, which seems a bit impolite, especially since they have been married for so long.
As soon as these words were spoken, Mr. Xiao, who was sitting in the main seat, suddenly became cold, and the smile on his face disappeared in an instant.
His brows were furrowed tightly, and then he turned to stare at Xiao Zhiyu, angrily scolding him in a stern tone: "You bastard, why don't you have a wedding for such a big event like getting married?"
The old man was obviously a little angry, and his tone was filled with undisguised anger and disappointment. "If this matter gets out, it will bring shame to our Xiao family!"
In Mr. Xiao's opinion, a wedding is an extremely important and solemn event. How could a newlywed couple get married without holding a wedding ceremony?
As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere at the table immediately became solemn, and everyone's face showed a cautious expression.
Except for the young Xiaojun who continued to eat with his head down foolishly, almost all the others stopped eating tacitly, for fear of being affected.
Seeing that the situation was getting out of control, Guo Huaqin immediately tried to smooth things over for Xiao Zhiyu, saying gently, "Dad, don't get angry yet. I think Zhiyu might not have fully prepared some of the preparatory work, so he put it on hold for the time being..."
She hoped to calm the old man's emotions in this gentle way, or at least prevent Xiao Zhiyu from being scolded.
However, the old man was clearly not so easily appeased. He glared at Guo Huaqin fiercely, his tone still stern, leaving no room for negotiation: "Preparations? Haven't you finished preparing in half a year? I think you're protecting him, and he doesn't care about this at all!"
His voice echoed in the living room, making the entire space seem to freeze.
At this time, Xiao Zhiyu felt a little bitter. He could certainly argue that the reason he didn't hold a wedding was because he had just returned from the battlefield and was seriously injured, making it inconvenient to hold a large-scale event.
But if he said this, his previous injury would be made public, and that was not what he wanted.
So he hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not open his mouth to refute, and just lowered his head silently.
But his silence was mistakenly taken by Old Man Xiao as an agreement to his accusation of "perfunctory marriage". The old man became even angrier, and the expression on his face was even more indignant than before.
"Do you feel that marrying Xiao Ruan is unfair to you?"
Old Master Xiao frowned, and his words carried a weight that could not be ignored, as if he wanted to force his grandson into a corner and get an explanation.
He stared at Xiao Zhiyu with a pair of eyes, his eyes were stern and full of complex emotions that could not be concealed.
Seeing that things were getting more and more outrageous, Ruan Chuxia no longer cared about Xiao Zhiyu's hand holding her back.
She bit her lip and finally decided not to remain silent.
Standing up, she spoke her mind anxiously: "Grandpa, actually we didn't have the wedding because Zhiyu was injured and it was delayed."
As soon as these words came out, it was like a bomb exploding in the room.
The Xiao family members were originally immersed in the atmosphere at the dinner table, but now they all put down their chopsticks and their faces suddenly changed.
The air suddenly became stagnant, no one spoke anymore, and the dinner table turned from a warm family dinner into a depressing battlefield.
Guo Huaqin was extremely nervous, staring straight at Xiao Zhiyu.
Her face was filled with worry, her eyes filled with anxiety and reluctance. She wanted to stick her eyes on his face. While gritting her teeth, she kept asking questions: "How did you get hurt? Where did you get hurt? Are you okay now?"
When questioned by his mother like this, Xiao Zhiyu remained calm, his expression indifferent, and he didn't even raise his voice a bit.
He just replied calmly: "I was accidentally injured, but I've recovered a long time ago."
The tone was incredibly calm.
Old Master Xiao snorted heavily, his "snort" revealing obvious displeasure.
He sat in the main seat and looked at Xiao Zhiyu sharply.
The old man narrowed his eyes, suspicion already forming in his mind.
This kid was ridiculously perfunctory, speaking in a nonchalant tone, and it was obvious that he wasn't saying the whole story. This wasn't something that could be simply brushed off as an "accidental injury."
He stopped staring at Xiao Zhiyu and turned his gaze to Xiao Ruan, who was sitting on the side with a complicated expression. His voice was steady but with a hint of pressure: "Xiao Ruan, tell me, what's going on?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com